


Unlikely Triplets

by darkone



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Alternate Universe - Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - Demons, Alternate Universe - Hunters, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Hunters, Angels, Apocalypse, Demons, Fallen Angels, Falling In Love, M/M, Saving the World, Supernatural Elements, Tampa Bay Lightning, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-08
Updated: 2017-07-08
Packaged: 2018-11-22 04:47:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11372880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkone/pseuds/darkone
Summary: An angel, a demon, and a hunter team up together to stop the early apocalypse.





	1. Angel

**Author's Note:**

  * For [deputyperrish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/deputyperrish/gifts).



> I had a lot of fun writing this and I hope you enjoy reading it, deputyperrish! I would also like to thank my amazing beta for all their help!

Tyler walked down the crowded street, listening to the conversations around him. Didn’t matter what century Tyler was in, people always talked about the same mundane things, and yet, the mindless drone of thousands of voices never bothered him. He was a Guardian after all, carefully listening through all the noise for someone who needed his help or care used to be part of his job.Tyler was no longer a Guardian but one of the Fallen; an angel whose wings were painfully taken for daring to go against God. 

Tyler could still feel his wings like a phantom limb sometimes.

He stopped when he felt a sudden change in the air. The overall atmosphere changed drastically and it made him uneasy. Even the mortals around him seemed to sense the change, their perplexed faces looking up towards the sky as if it would offer some kind of answer. Tyler didn’t look up because he felt a strong presence up ahead in the distance. The crowd suddenly scattered into all directions. Tyler pushed ahead against the crowd, the voices around him now loud and panicked.

Tyler finally saw what caused him to feel uneasy when the area cleared. Atop a blood red horse sat an imposing cloaked figure. A skeletal hand carried a declaration of war with a sword held upward. Tyler couldn’t believe what he was seeing and he didn’t understand. The presence of War, one of the Four Horsemen, only meant one thing. Tyler was confused because he knew when the apocalypse was going to happen and it certainly wasn’t the time, and wouldn’t be for thousands upon thousands of years.

As an angel, it was Tyler’s duty to fight when the time came. He was _supposed_ to know about these things.

Tyler didn’t have much time to wonder why he was staring at a Horseman because War sensed his presence and turned towards him, its sword swinging down, pointing straight at him. 

Tyler steeled himself. A white light pulsated from his hand when he closed one of his fists. It shot out from either side, revealing a golden spear emblazoned with angelic script on the hilt and pure white blades on either end. Tyler readied himself for combat.


	2. Demon

Ondrej pulled the covers down from his face. He squinted at his ceiling before sitting up and rubbing his hands over his face in an attempt to wake up before climbing out of the bed, finding his boxers on the floor to pull them on. He walked over to his window, opened the curtains; squinting when the light hit his eyes; viewing the hustle and bustle of the streets below his apartment.

Ondrej turned back towards his bed at the sound of rustling sheets behind him. Last night’s occupants finally stirring.

“That was some party,” the young man with striking blue eyes said between a yawn. He smirked, adding, “Demons sure know how to do it.”

“I told you it would be a night both of you would never forget,” Ondrej returned the smirk, his eyes flickering to their true red briefly. Ondrej chuckled to himself when the girl next to the man wrapped a lazy arm around his waist and pulled him back down into the sheets. Apparently they weren’t quite ready to get up yet. 

Ondrej heard the vibrations of his phone on his dresser; answering it immediately when he saw it was Jo calling.

“Hey, Jo.” Ondrej greeted.

“Everything okay there?” Ondrej was confused by Jo’s tone of voice.

“Yeah. Is something wrong?”

“Pestilence is wreaking havoc here.” Ondrej frowned.

“Pestilence? The Horseman? You’re not fucking with me are you, Jo? I don’t have time for this.” Ondrej let his annoyance bleed through in his voice. Jo was known for playing tricks and he wasn’t about to be taken in by one.

“I’m serious, Ondrej. There’s a damn Horseman here. And if _it’s_ here, the others are bound to show up eventually.” Jo sounding completely serious for once in his life sent a chill down Ondrej’s spine.

“The apocalypse isn’t supposed to happen for centuries though.” Ondrej wandered over to his window again.

“Something’s up. I don’t know what, but something’s not right.” They both fell silent, Ondrej’s eyes scanning the world outside his window again. He noticed that people seemed to be running away from the city center. He squinted into the distance and then he could see why.

“War just showed up.” Ondrej breathed out.

“Shit.”

“I gotta go. Find out what you can, Jo.”

“Will do.” Ondrej hung up and hurriedly grabbed some clothes.

“What’s going on?” The girl in his bed spoke up.

“Nothing for you two to worry about.” Ondrej smiled, pulling on his clothes. “I have to head out though. Leave when you want.” He winked; the girl blushed and snuggled back up to her partner.

Ondrej sensed War’s effect on the surrounding area the moment he stepped outside. The Horsemen carried such an oppressive energy. He could only imagine how it felt to mortals if it even made him feel out of sorts. Ondrej sighed and headed into the city center where War waited.


	3. Hunter

Nikita lifted the cup of coffee to his lips and scanned his surroundings. He’d been tracking a ghoul for weeks that frequented this coffee shop. Nikita waited, his target always arrived at eleven o’clock, sharp. 

The bell above the shop’s door rang, as if on cue, and in he walked. A rather average man with a dark beard entered the coffee shop, walked straight to the counter, and made his order: one iced coffee and an apple turnover.

Nikita watched the man pay for his items and leave. He drained the last of his coffee and followed after him. He slid easily into the crowd; he never looked out of place in a crowd because he could always make himself inconspicuous. There was a reason he was one of the best hunters in the business. He trailed a few paces back, frowning when the man made a sudden left turn down an alley. 

Nikita slowed down but followed after him. He wasn’t surprised to find it completely empty save for a dumpster at the end.

“Few rarely notice me.” 

Nikita smirked and turned around.

“I saw you watching me,” the man looked at Nikita with hunger in his eyes. “And you’re supposedly the best of the best?” He laughed loudly. Nikita stayed silent, his hand resting near his thigh, tapping the hilt of his blade; ready to strike. “No matter. I’ll be glad to take on your form.” The man’s eyes turned silver. His lips parted with a flash of his tongue, revealing razor sharp teeth ready to rip anything apart. 

Nikita unsheathed his blade and sliced the ghoul’s head clear off before he could even take two steps forward. “Cocky.” Nikita muttered, wiping the blood off his blade with a rag from his pocket. He flipped the blade a few times in his hands, admiring the protective script etched into the silver. 

Nikita snapped his head up when he heard people on the streets beginning to scream. He hurried out of the alleyway and into the crowd that was now frantically running away from the city center. He wasn’t sure what was going on but something had changed while he was in the alley. 

The air turned oppressive and he felt like a weight was sitting on his chest, making it hard to breathe. Nikita reached into his jacket, pulled out his gun, and headed towards the city center. The weight in his chest became heavier the closer he got to the source.


	4. War

Nikita couldn't believe what he was seeing in the distance. He'd seen it in sketches and old books but it was nothing compared to the real thing. It was menacing but he was a hunter and it was his duty to protect people from the supernatural. There needed to be a balance in the world and the balance was shifting. Nikita had to act fast. 

He unloaded his gun to check the bullets, this was the first time Nikita found himself unsure of what type of bullet to use but he figured he probably couldn’t go wrong with silver. He loaded the bullets and moved closer to the creature, moving in and out between cars to stay hidden.

Nikita moved slowly so he didn’t draw attention to himself. He really didn’t know what he was up against and he felt a long range approach would benefit him better. Nikita leaned on the trunk of the car to line up his shot, waiting for the creature to show a weak spot. Nikita’s finger rested lightly, waiting. He saw his spot and started to squeeze the trigger when he was pulled back by his collar suddenly, landing on his back.

“What the hell are you doing?” the man standing over him demanded. He blinked up at the guy before scrambling to his feet and pointing his gun at the stranger, who held his hands up against his chest in surrender. 

“Hey man, I’m just trying to keep you from getting killed.”

“You seem to know what that is?” Nikita motioned behind him with his head, not taking his eyes off the man in front of him. The guy nodded.

“War, one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse.”

“Okay, but _how_?” Nikita was gobsmacked.

“Easy.” The man’s eyes flashed red and Nikita immediately cocked his gun.

“Demon.”

“The name’s Ondrej, actually.”

“That’s not your real name.” Nikita glared. Ondrej laughed.

“Like I’d tell you my real name. I don’t want to go back to Hell, thanks.” He huffed. “You’re Nikita, right?” Nikita’s eyes widened at Ondrej’s words. “Don’t be so surprised. You’re like the most wanted hunter among the supernatural. I’m not your enemy though.”

“All demons are my enemy.” Nikita responded, gun still pointed at Ondrej.

“And yet you still haven’t pulled the trigger.” Ondrej smirked. “You’re hesitating because you want to know what’s going on and you know I know something.” Silence stretched between them but eventually Nikita lowered his weapon. Ondrej couldn’t help but sigh in relief.

“So, the apocalypse is here then.” Nikita turned his attention back to War reaping destruction on whatever was in its path.

“It’s not supposed to be, that’s the problem.” Nikita looked back at Ondrej, confusion riddling his face.

“How do we kill it?”

“You don’t.”

“There has to be a way.” Nikita shook his head. He’s never gone up against anything he couldn’t defeat.

“Not for a mortal like you. The only ones who even stand some semblance of a chance are angels.” Ondrej noticed someone approaching War. “Speaking of…”

“An angel?” Nikita also watched the man approaching War, spear in hand.

“Yeah, but something’s not right.” Ondrej squinted. “Stay here.” He got up to leave but Nikita put a hand on him.

“What are you doing?”

“Preventing another idiot from trying to take on a Horseman alone.” Ondrej smiled, pulling away from Nikita. Nikita still didn’t know what to make of Ondrej. He’d never met a demon like him before. He watched Ondrej maneuver between vehicles. Nikita set himself up in the position he was before, figuring he should make himself useful, just in case.

Ondrej stopped behind a car when he was close enough to get a look at the angel. _“Holy shit, he’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen,”_ Ondrej thought. He shook his head; that thought would have to wait. There was a more pressing matter at hand. 

War pointed its sword at the angel and Ondrej knew he needed to act fast. Ondrej rushed towards the angel, tackling him out of the way and onto a nearby sidewalk, War’s sword narrowly missing them, crashing down onto the car behind where they just were.

“What are you-“

“Shh.” Ondrej placed his hand over the angel’s mouth. Ondrej held his breath, watching War look around for them. War came closer and closer to where they were laying. Just as War noticed them, a bullet struck War jolting its attention elsewhere. War let out a shrill cry and charged down the street. “Let’s go.” Ondrej got to his feet, pulling the man next to him up by his shirt. 

Ondrej hoped that Nikita made sure to hide after firing off that shot. It was a smart idea. Foolish, but a smart way to distract War. They needed to find a way out of the city center fast while somehow preventing War from following them. 

This was not a fight any of them could win right now.

Ondrej watched War gallop off into the distance leaving a wave of destruction in its wake. At least it was preoccupied for a bit. Ondrej passed the car he and Nikita were hiding behind before, happy to see that Nikita wasn’t there.

“Over here.” Ondrej turned his head to a nearby storefront. Nikita signaled them inside.

“Were you the one that fired that shot?” the guy demanded as soon as they thought they were in the clear. Nikita nodded. “That was extremely foolish! You could’ve been killed!”

“Says the guy who went after a Horseman with only a spear,” Ondrej folded his arms, his eyes glancing at the spear still grasped in the man’s hand.

“It’s made to take down creatures like that,” he looked out the store front window to make sure War wasn't coming back.

“So, you’re an angel?” Nikita asked, glancing at the spear that was radiating with energy. “What’s your name?”

“Tyler.”

“That can’t be your real name…” Ondrej smirked.

“People can’t say my real name.” Tyler turned towards Ondrej. “I bet you don’t give out your name either.” He returned Ondrej’s smirk. “But what do you go by?”

“Ondrej.”

“You can tell what he is?” Nikita frowned.

“The supernatural give off a different aura than mortals.” Tyler explained. “It’s a completely different energy.”

“Something’s different about you though.” Ondrej appraised Tyler, taking in the deep brown hue of his eyes, the light scruff on his face and the way his hair seemed to only want to sway to the right. Ondrej found himself incredibly drawn to Tyler which was something new for him. Ondrej realized what Tyler was once he stopped appreciating his features. “Fallen?” Tyler tensed at Ondrej’s words. That was all the answer Ondrej needed.

“We need to get out of the city center.” Tyler changed the subject abruptly, clearly wanting to divert the attention elsewhere.

“There’s an alleyway nearby that leads out of here. So we’re not out in the open.” Nikita looked out the storefront. “We should make it quick though. Our friend is making its way back.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Ondrej opened the door. “Lead the way.” He motioned at Nikita, who nodded and headed outside, Tyler following behind him with Ondrej picking up the rear. They carefully made their way to the alley and into the outer limits of the city.

“I think we’re at a safe distance.” Tyler looked around.

“At least until War has had enough fun destroying everything.” Ondrej leaned against a nearby parked car. 

“Don’t lean on my car.” Nikita pulled Ondrej away with a glare.

“Sorry, jeez.” Ondrej shrugged Nikita’s hand off, pulling his shirt back into place. “Like I knew it was yours.” Ondrej looked back at it. “Nice car though.” Ondrej could see his reflection smirking back at him in the black paint.

“Good, we’ll need transportation.” Tyler said with a nod.

“I’m sorry. We?” Nikita’s head snapped towards Tyler. “There’s no we here. I work alone.”

“So, you’re going to take on the apocalypse alone?” Tyler scoffed. “Look, I don’t care who you think you are. It’s just not happening, Nikita,” Tyler shook his head with a frown. “We need to stick together and figure out what we can do to stop this.”

Nikita sighed, as much as he hated to admit it, Tyler was right. There was no way he was going to take on the apocalypse by himself. He liked being a lone wolf but maybe this wasn’t the best situation for it. 

He just never thought he would be partnering with an angel _and_ a demon. Nikita looked over at Ondrej. “You said you knew something earlier.”

“Hmm?” Ondrej was roused from his thoughts. “Oh. Yeah. I don’t know anything.” Nikita immediately drew his gun and pointed it at Ondrej. “Hey, HEY! What’s with you and that damn gun?! Put it down!”

“If you don’t know anything then you’re of no use to me. That’s the only reason I didn’t shoot you before.” Nikita cocked his gun.

“Just because I don’t know anything now doesn’t mean I can’t find something out.” Ondrej tried to step out of the way of the gun but Nikita moved it with him. “I’m a demon. I have many channels and connections. I can find something out.”

“He’s right.” Tyler kept his voice calm, like he was worried that he’d set Nikita off. “We need him. He’s our best bet at finding out why the apocalypse has come early.”

“You’re an angel. You can’t find that out?” Nikita didn’t take his eyes off Ondrej. Tyler paused, he didn’t really know how to answer that question. He used to have connections but those all but dried up after he became one of the Fallen.

“Angels don’t have the underground connection. Plus, Heaven’s pretty tight lipped about things. Hell, not so much. Offer the right price and you can find out anything you want.” A few more tense seconds passed but Nikita lowered his gun. Ondrej let out a sigh. “Do me a favor and quit pointing that thing at me.”

“Quit giving me reasons to.”


	5. Victor

“So, why are we here?” Nikita asked, turning down a corner and parking on a side road. The three of them were in the next town over because Ondrej said it was the best place to find out information. The town was busy, even though it wasn’t nearly as big.

“It may not look like much, but this town has a big supernatural underground. Mortals go about their business during the day and then out night we come out to play.” Ondrej got out of the car.

“So, it’s a melting pot.” Tyler was sensing all different types that resided here. “Surprised hunters don’t know about this place.”

“It’s a safe haven for supernaturals. Good and bad. Mortals don’t bother the supernaturals and vice versa. So, when a hunter comes snooping they’re steered the other way.” Ondrej said to them before heading down the sidewalk. The sun was just setting behind a nearby building and the street lights were just flickering to life. Ondrej stepped into a nearby convenience store and began perusing the shelves.

“Sounds like a good situation for everyone.” Tyler mused. He looked at the clerk, intending to greet him. His eyes fell on a young man flipping through a magazine. The man looked up at Tyler and smiled, his eyes flickering to a familiar gold before returning to their regular brown and flitting back to the pages in front of him.

“You know him?” Nikita came up next to Tyler, his voice just barely a whisper.

“I’m not familiar with him.” Tyler turned his attention to the wall of drinks in front of him.

“I’m surprised.”

“I don’t know every angel.” Tyler saw Ondrej approaching the clerk out of the corner of his eye. “Ondrej seems to know him though.”

“Hey, Cedric,” Ondrej set a bag of chips and a soda on the counter.

“Long time; no see,” Cedric pushed his magazine aside and began to ring up Ondrej’s items. 

“What brings you here?”

“I’m here to see Victor.”

“You’re just in time,” Cedric glanced across the street to a nearby building. “Should be open soon. Sun’s not completely down yet.” He finished up with Ondrej’s transaction, turning his attention to Tyler and Nikita who were clearly listening to their conversation. “I take it I’ll be watching the hunter then?”

“What?” Nikita’s head jerked towards them. Cedric and Ondrej laughed.

“You heard me.” Cedric grabbed his magazine and started flipping through it again.

“What is he talking about?” Nikita stormed over to Ondrej.

“I need someone to keep you safe while Tyler and I do a little rendezvous in the club across the street.” Ondrej nodded his head in that direction. Nikita turned around, the once-dark building now lit up with neon lights and music could be heard from where they stood.

“I’m going with you.” Nikita frowned.

“Like hell you are.” Ondrej rolled his eyes. “That place is going to be filled with nothing but supernaturals and I can guarantee there will be more than a few people in there that want your head.”

“Ondrej did say that it was both the good and the bad here.” Tyler interjected.

“Some of the good probably want your head too.” Ondrej muttered, which earned him another glare.

“Look, I’m a Guardian.” Cedric cut in. “You’ll be fine here with me. Just don’t leave the store.” Cedric added, throwing himself down on a chair behind the counter, kicking his feet up. Nikita turned his glare to Cedric who wasn’t even looking at him, so the glare was completely wasted.

“Plus, I bought you a snack.” Ondrej pushed the chips and soda into Nikita’s hands. Nikita looked totally baffled; it made Tyler want to smile. 

“Thanks.” Nikita muttered. Ondrej patted him on the shoulder and moved over to Tyler. Nikita watched them exit the store and ahead across the street.

“So, what do we need here?” Tyler asked as they approached the large bouncer at the door.

“Information. This is where we’ll find it.” Ondrej grabbed Tyler by the arm, squeezing it gently. “Stay close though.” The bouncer appraised them when they stepped in front of him, then nodded, giving a little grunt, and opening the door. 

Tyler’s ears were assaulted by the bass of the music and his eyes needed a moment to adjust to the smoke and flashing lights inside. Once they did, he looked around, noticing all the different supernaturals inside. The majority seemed to be angels and demons. Tyler was surprised that no one hid their eyes before he realized no mortals were present.

Ondrej lead Tyler over to the bar and flagged the bartender for two Cokes which appeared quickly. Ondrej handed one to Tyler and leaned in close to him. “Show me your eyes.” Tyler looked up from the drink in his hand and noticed that Ondrej’s eyes were glowing red. Tyler blinked to reveal gold ones. “Better.” Ondrej smirked, taking a sip of his drink. 

Tyler felt himself blush but he wasn’t sure why. He quickly looked away from Ondrej and around at the other occupants of the club. Some dancing, some just chatting and some doing a little bit more than that. Tyler’s gaze fell on a man across the way, who was sitting in the VIP area, with orange eyes. Tyler thought he was familiar with all supernaturals but he’d never seen eyes like that before.

“What is he?” Tyler asked over the music, not taking his eyes off the man with the orange eyes.

“That’s Victor. He’s who we need to see.” Ondrej answered. “He’s half angel and half demon.”

“Are you serious?” Tyler blinked. He’d never heard of such a thing, something he says to Ondrej. 

“He’s the only one that’s known to exist.” Ondrej answered with a shrug. Tyler tore his eyes away from Victor, startling when he saw that Ondrej was staring at him.

“What?” Tyler absentmindedly wiped at his face, fearing he dribbled Coke down his chin or something.

“I’ve met plenty of Fallen in my time and none of them are like you.” Ondrej spoke slowly, swirling the ice in his drink.

“What do you mean?”

“They _always_ have some sort of chip on their shoulder,” Ondrej explained, “they’re angry at God for taking their wings because they don’t think they deserved it. You don’t act like that though.”

“I guess each angel has their own...whatever.” Tyler answered, he shifted awkwardly.

“Why did you lose your wings?” Ondrej asked, his voice barely carried over the music.

“I..um..” Tyler downed the rest of his drink.

“Sorry, sorry.” Ondrej apologized quickly while he grabbed Tyler’s arm and squeezed it. “I didn’t mean to pry.” 

It wasn’t that Tyler was ashamed of why he lost his wings; he just wasn’t ready to discuss it with someone he didn’t really know. Tyler watched Ondrej’s hand slowly caress his arm, trailing down to his hand. 

“Let’s dance.” He pulled Tyler away from the bar and onto the dance floor.

“Shouldn’t we be talking to your friend?” Tyler asked even as he wrapped his arms around Ondrej and began moving to the beat.

“We will,” Ondrej ran his hands down Tyler’s sides. “Just one dance.” Tyler couldn’t help the little laugh that escaped him. Well, one dance wouldn’t hurt. “Plus, it’s nice to have someone as cute as you dancing with me.”

“Ah, so _that’s_ your game.” Tyler smirked.

Ondrej cocked his head and leered. “What do you think is my ‘game’?”

“I know all about demons’ bed hopping ways.” Ondrej opened his mouth but something behind Tyler caught his attention.

“Victor wants to see us.” Ondrej indicated to the VIP area. He grabbed Tyler by the wrist and led him over to Victor.

“Long time no see, my friend,” Victor didn’t get up from his seat, only moving his hand to offer Tyler and Ondrej the seats across from him. “I couldn’t help but notice you two on the dance floor. You make quite a pair.”

“I’m sure we would.” Ondrej shot a smile at Tyler, who responded with a little shake of his head.

“I hear you’re half angel and half demon?” Tyler inquired. Victor smiled at them; his orange eyes seemed to burn brighter with the action.

“You heard right.” Victor reached for a nearby glass on the table. “The creation of me was even more forbidden than my parents’ love.”

“Must put you in an interesting position.”

Victor nodded. “Neither side will have me, so to speak. I spend my days here in the Middle Realm, offering a safe haven for those who wish to indulge in the more…forbidden fruits.” He licked his lips, eyes darting to the couple on the couch next to him that were feverishly kissing. “But I take it that’s not what you’re here for.”

“Pestilence and War have made an appearance recently. We were wondering if you knew anything about that.” Ondrej didn’t mince words, apparently. Victor didn’t answer immediately, instead laying a hand on the back of one of the men next to him.

“Slater. Braydon.” The couple broke their kiss, golden eyes shifting their way. “Why don’t you two get a private room?” The couple didn’t seem to need any other urging because they left hastily, hands clasped tightly together. “I doubt they would’ve paid attention to anything we say but just to be safe.” He laughed.

“So, you know something?” Tyler frowned.

“I know enough.” Victor took another sip of his whiskey. “I’m sure you realized the apocalypse has come a couple centuries too early.” Ondrej and Tyler nodded. “Now, I don’t know exactly who or why but someone is pulling the strings.”

“Above or below?” Ondrej raised an eyebrow.

“Always a good bet to start below.” Victor chuckled but he quickly turned serious. “Your boss has been frequenting my other establishments lately, Ondrej. Meeting some unknown supernatural, who always keeps a hood on; I can’t see their eyes.”

“If anyone would start the apocalypse early, he would…so long as he could make it profitable for himself, of course.” Ondrej folded his arms.

“You have a boss?” Tyler raised an eyebrow at Ondrej.

“Much like angels have a hierarchy, so do demons.” Victor answered. “I’m sure you had a chain of command to follow.” Tyler nodded. “Ondrej has the same.” Victor smiled. “Angels and demons really aren’t that different and yet are the complete opposites in some respects. One protects souls while the other takes.”

“I only take what I have to.” Ondrej replied.

“I know.” Victor chuckled. “And it’s probably time you showed your face around there anyway. Don’t you have quotas to fill?”

“I’m good for the year, but maybe I should surprise him with an extra soul...he won’t know what to do with himself.” Ondrej flashed a wicked grin. “It’d have to be a pretty good one to get him to spill anything though.” Suddenly Ondrej’s smile became more devious.

“What are you thinking?” Tyler leaned towards him.

“I have the perfect bait to get him to talk,” Ondrej’s grin melted into a soft smile. “He’s gonna be pissed though.”

“Who?”

“You’ll see.” Ondrej stood up. “Thanks for the help, Victor. Always good to see you.” Victor dismissed them with a wave and a nod, his attention drawn to a new couple that joined him. Tyler was surprised when Ondrej lead them back out onto the dance floor instead of outside.

“What are you doing?” Tyler asked even as his body moved with Ondrej’s.

“Dancing,” Ondrej gripped the back of Tyler’s neck, pulling him even closer.

“Shouldn’t we be, um, seeing your boss?”

“We will.” Ondrej stared into Tyler’s eyes. “Just one more dance.”


	6. Coop

“You want me to WHAT?!” Nikita roared at Ondrej, slamming his foot on the brakes after he revealed his plan.

“It _is_ a pretty good idea when you think about it,” Tyler shrugged in agreement.

“I am _not_ doing that,” Nikita growled, gripping the steering wheel tightly.

“Despite the yelling, he’s taking this way better than I thought,” Ondrej whispered loudly at Tyler.

“Why do you say that?” Tyler tried to stop the corners of his mouth from twitching upwards. Nikita didn’t seem to be in the mood for humor.

“He hasn’t pulled his gun on me.”

“Yet.” Nikita scowled. 

“I’m not going to let anything happen to you, I promise.” Ondrej kept his voice calm, trying his best to soothe Nikita whose knuckles were turning white from his grip on the wheel. “There’s a big price on your head, Nikita. My boss drools over that kind of thing.”

“I’m not going to be your bait.” Nikita said through gritted teeth. “I don’t trust you.”

“Nikita.” Tyler sat forward, leaning his arms on the front seats. “You know we _need_ information and you’d be the best bargaining chip to get it.” Nikita turned around, his glare now aimed at Tyler.

“We can’t use _you_ as the bargaining chip? You’re an angel!”

“I’m not the most wanted hunter in the supernatural world.” Tyler retorted. “Ondrej will keep you safe. Even if you can’t trust him, trust _me_ , okay?” After what felt like an eternity of tense silence, Nikita finally relented.

“Fine.”

“Oh, sure, trust _him_.” Ondrej rolled his eyes.

“He’s an angel, you’re a demon.” Nikita answered, as if it was the most obvious answer to give. He began driving down the road again towards their destination.

“We do have a better track record in the trust department.” Tyler smiled.

“No lie there.”

They drove for a few hours before making a pit stop in a small town that didn’t appear to have more than a gas station and a motel.

“Gas is always more expensive in the middle of nowhere,” Nikita grumbled to himself, getting out of his car. He walked into the store to pay for his gas. Tyler and Ondrej exited the car, more to stretch their legs than to take in the lack of scenery.

“How much farther is it?” Tyler leaned against the trunk of the car.

“Probably another hour, maybe less with the way he drives.” They both chuckled at Ondrej’s statement.

“He should really invest in a car with better gas mileage.” Tyler hummed.

“This is a classic.” Nikita returned, frown affixed to his face like always. “Off the paint.” Tyler raised his hands in mock surrender and stepped away from the car. Nikita pumped the gas, leaving Tyler and Ondrej to talk amongst themselves. 

“By the way, you are quite the dancer,” Tyler batted his eyelashes towards Ondrej. 

“Helps to have a good partner,” Ondrej purred, smiling when Tyler blushed. He enjoyed a flustered Tyler. 

Ondrej felt another presence nearby while they were flirting but it wasn’t threatening so he dismissed it.

“Tyler?” A voice behind them called out. The three of them looked across the street at the motel to see a man with short brown hair waving at them.

“Who’s that?” Ondrej watched the man look both ways before crossing the street even though there wasn’t even another car in sight.

“I’m not sure,” Tyler squinted; realization dawned on him as he approached. “Coop? Is that you?”

“Sure is,” Coop stopped in front of them. “What are you doing all the way out here, Tyler?”

“I could ask you the same.” Tyler cocked his head; Coop wasn’t known to frequent the mortal realm much.

“Can’t really stay in the city, not with Horsemen wreaking havoc,” Coop scratched the back of his head. “Heaven’s a different kind of hectic right now.”

“Do you know anything about what’s going on?” Ondrej asked Coop.

“Word up there is some big shot demon down here is the cause of all this. Supposedly they bribed the keepers of the Horsemen to release them early.”

“The keepers are split between Heaven and Hell though,” Tyler interjected.

“Right. Two keepers are demons and two are angels.” Coop added.

“Makes sense, keep the balance of power fair,” Ondrej pondered Coop’s words. The demon Coop spoke of sounded exactly like his boss. The more they found out about the apocalypse the more it seemed to point to his boss.

“Exactly.” Coop looked over Ondrej and Nikita. “I see you are traveling in…different social circles now.” He turned to Tyler and offered a bright smile.

“Is there something wrong with that, Coop?” Tyler’s brow furrowed slightly. He wasn’t particularly fond of Coop’s snide tone.

“No, not at all.” Coop waved the line of conversation away. “Anyway, I should head back. You three look like you’re going somewhere important. I don’t want to hold you up any longer.”

“Nice to see you, Coop.” Tyler said to be polite.

“You too.” Coop started to walk away. “And nice to meet both of you.” Ondrej raised an eyebrow; Coop hadn’t even asked Tyler to introduce them.

“I don’t like him.” Nikita huffed when Coop was across the street. They all started to get back into the car.

“Nikita.” Tyler shot him a look across the car but Nikita ignored him.

“He _was_ a little odd.” Ondrej fastened his seat belt. “How do you know him?”

“Oh, he was my boss when I was a Guardian.” Tyler threw his head back against the headrest.

“Was he always that weird?” Nikita started the car and pulled back out onto the road.

“Eh, kind of.” Tyler shrugged. “He’s just got a different way of doing things. I haven’t really seen or heard from him since he told me they changed the Judgements and that was hundreds of years ago.”

“What do you mean?” Ondrej looked back at Tyler.

“Apparently I caused a great discussion on how Judgements should be handled after they banished me.” Tyler sighed. “Coop didn’t really tell me much, but at least they changed it. He said he even tried to get them to give me back my wings. I made my bed though.”

“How did you lose your wings?” Nikita looked at Tyler through his rear view window. Tyler only closed his eyes and pursed his lips.

“He doesn’t have to tell us,” Ondrej spoke up; nudging Nikita in the arm sharply which earned him a glare.

“I’m not.” Tyler opened his eyes and looked out the window, effectively ending the conversation. 

They drove in silence the rest of the way.


	7. Gary

“Ominous.” Nikita looked out the car window up at the skyscraper. It was so tall that he couldn’t even see the top because of the dark clouds around it. He noticed on the way over the closer they came to their destination, the atmosphere turned more sinister. Ondrej even revealed to him that a portal to Hell was located somewhere in the city.

“We like the dark aesthetics, as you can see,” Ondrej shrugged.

“I _love_ the rot and decay,” the sarcasm was so evident in Tyler’s voice it made both Nikita and Ondrej laugh.

“So, what’s next?” Nikita tore his eyes away from a nearby hellhound passing by.

“You and I are going in there,” Ondrej nodded towards the skyscraper. “My boss is up there.”

“Do we need weapons?” Nikita frowned at Ondrej, who answered with a shake of his head. “So, I’m going to be defenseless in there?” This plan was sounding more absurd by the minute.

“I can’t bring you in there with weapons,” Ondrej scoffed. “You just need to trust me, okay?”

“That’s hard for me to do,” Nikita muttered under his breath but he knew Ondrej heard him.

“You’ll be okay; I won’t let anything harm you.” Ondrej pulled the car door open and stepped out.

“He doesn’t understand,” Nikita shook his head.

“He does,” Tyler said from the back seat, Nikita turned to look at him. “He just wants you to stop fighting him on everything, that’s all.”

“Cooperating with a demon goes against everything I was ever taught,” Nikita sighed.

“What they teach isn’t always best. I mean, did they teach you to blindly trust angels?” Tyler asked. Nikita nodded. “That’s foolish.”

Nikita raised an eyebrow, he was about to ask Tyler why it was foolish to trust angels outright but was distracted by a tap on the driver side window. Ondrej motioned for them to get out of the car.

“Ugh,” Nikita immediately covered his face when he breathed in the air. “Sulfur.”

“What the hell did you expect?” Ondrej laughed. Nikita pulled his shirt up over his nose, the smell was enough to make his eyes water. “Do you have any rope or something?” Ondrej asked. Nikita walked to the trunk of his car and opened it, he pulled a tab on the side that revealed a hidden compartment filled with weapons and other assortment of items for hunting. He rooted around a bit, then pulled out a small coil of rope out, handing it to Ondrej.

“Are you going to bind my wrists?” Nikita frowned when Ondrej stepped towards him.

“It has to be as convincing as possible,” Ondrej uncoiled the rope. “I won’t tie it tight though, promise.” He leaned over into the trunk and reached for a bit of cloth. “I need to cover your eyes too but this is thin enough so you can see where you’re going.”

“So, what am I supposed to do through all of this?” Tyler huffed. “Wait in the car?” Nikita wondered if Tyler felt like he did when he was left behind in the convenience store earlier.

“Can you still bless things?” Ondrej asked.

“Yeah, of course.” Tyler cocked his head. “Why?” Ondrej leaned in and whispered into Tyler’s ear so Nikita couldn’t hear. “Isn’t that um… a little dangerous?”

“Yeah, but it’s the only way we can get out of there without being followed.” Ondrej answered.

“But what about _you_?” Tyler made a little face. Nikita thought it looked like a mix between pain and worry.

“I’ll be fine,” Ondrej smiled at Tyler before he turned to Nikita, “can I borrow your jacket by the way?”

“I guess.” Nikita squinted, he wanted to demand what they were going on about but he knew neither of them would tell him and he was _trying_ to trust them, despite his teachings _and_ what Tyler had said about blind trust. “Just don’t ruin it.” He shrugged out of his jacket and handed it to Ondrej. Ondrej pulled the jacket on; it fit him well enough but was a little tight on the arms.

“I’ll try,” Ondrej smiled, he reached for Nikita’s wrists and pulled them forward to wrap the rope around them. “Is that too tight?” Nikita shook his head. “Good.” Ondrej walked behind Nikita and added the blindfold. True to Ondrej’s word, he could see through the material.

“You two be careful in there,” Tyler reached out and squeezed Ondrej’s upper arm. Nikita saw Ondrej pat Tyler’s hand lightly.

“We will.” Ondrej grabbed Nikita by the arm. “Keep the car running for us.” Ondrej led Nikita away from Tyler.

“He better not mess up my paint on anything,” Nikita muttered as they approached the building, making Ondrej laugh. 

Nikita squinted through his blindfold, trying to see the ornate lobby, marble walls and pillars decorated with gold trimmings, and enormous chandeliers hanging from the ceilings. The lobby bustled with demons going about their business but that didn’t stop a few of them from noticing Nikita and growling at him. Ondrej’s grip tightened on Nikita’s arm but it felt more like reassurance. He led them towards the main desk where a young demon sat, her nose buried in her paperwork.

“Who are you here to see?” She asked without looking up.

“Gary.” Ondrej replied.

“Do you have an appointment?” She flipped open the planner next to her, browsing the schedule.

“I’m sure he can squeeze me in.” The woman looked up. Nikita watched her eyes widen when she realized who was standing in front of her. 

“I’ll let him know you’re here. Go on up.” 

Ondrej pulled Nikita away and towards the elevators. Ondrej pressed the button and an elevator opened promptly for them. Nikita allowed himself to be pulled inside the elevator catching a glimpse of the woman still staring at him. Nikita watched Ondrej press the button for the top floor. He was relieved they had the elevator to themselves. 

“Are you paying attention to where we’re going?” Ondrej asked after they went up a few floors. 

“Yeah.”

“Good. I’ll need you to know the way out.” Ondrej played with the sleeves of Nikita’s jacket. 

“Why’s that?” Nikita asked.

“You’ll see.” Ondrej clasped Nikita’s shoulder, squeezing it gently. “I know it’s hard for you to trust me but-”

“I trust you more than I did when I first met you,” Nikita cut off Ondrej. Nikita could see the surprise on Ondrej’s face. It was fleeting before Ondrej schooled his features back into that confident smirk, but it was definitely there. 

“You’re full of surprises,” Ondrej laughed.

“So are you.” Nikita felt the elevator slow to their destination. Ondrej grabbed Nikita’s arm again, leading him through a maze of hallways until they eventually arrived at an empty corridor, a large, red door waiting ominously at the end. Neither of them spoke as they approached the door. Ondrej knocked, his hand on Nikita tightened nervously. The door opened by itself after a moment.

“Come in.” A voice inside called out. 

Nikita took in his surroundings, paintings of what he assumed were the previous leaders lined the walls. Their eyes pierced right through him and felt like they followed him in the room. Nikita didn’t get to take in much else before he was being pushed into a chair, a gasp of air leaving him at the force. Nikita stared at the back of a giant leather chair behind the desk in front of him. 

“This must be something good if you’re here.” The voice floated from behind the chair. 

“Oh. It is.” Nikita heard Ondrej’s voice behind him. It sounded different than it normally did, it was devious and sent a chill down Nikita’s spine. The chair in front of him swiveled around to reveal a man that looked like a short gremlin more than a high ranking demon. “I wouldn’t come in person unless it was important, Gary.” 

“Very important, indeed.” Nikita saw a flash of recognition appear on Gary’s face. “The famous hunter, Nikita.” Gary flashed a toothy grin towards Nikita. 

“I imagine his soul will fetch a good price.” Ondrej chuckled. 

“More than you can imagine, Ondrej.” Gary licked his lips. “There’s quite a few demons who want his head.” Gary lifted himself from his seat and walked towards Nikita. He reached out and pulled the blindfold from his eyes. 

“This wasn’t easy, so I expect proper payment.” Ondrej placed his hands on Nikita’s shoulders. Gary turned his gaze from Nikita to Ondrej. He didn’t say anything immediately, he seemed to be studying Ondrej.

“What do you want?” Gary narrowed his eyes. 

“Information.” 

Gary laughed loudly, leaning against his desk. “You’re something else, Ondrej. You bring me the most wanted hunter among demons and you want _information_ as payment?” 

“Yes.” Ondrej lightly squeezed Nikita’s shoulders. 

Gary meandered around to his desk, pulled a drawer out and dropped a large leather bound book on the top. He flipped open the book to the page he wanted and ran his finger down the page. 

“You have quite an interesting history,” Gary tapped his finger along the page. “Do you know how many souls you’ve brought me over the years?”

“I’ve brought you plenty.” Ondrej responded.

“You’ve brought me _enough_ ,” Gary slammed the book closed, the items on his desk vibrating from the force of it. “You’ve brought me the minimum. The _bare_ minimum.” He walked around his desk again. “You bring me corrupt souls. Ones that aren’t worth anything. Not one innocent soul has ever been in your possession.”

“There are no requirements on the type of souls I’m supposed to bring.” Ondrej threw back with a growl. 

“You’re always toeing the line, Ondrej.” Gary chuckled. “But after all these years, you’ve finally brought me something of worth.” Gary sounded proud. He reached a spindly hand towards Nikita and grabbed him by the face. He couldn’t help but recoil at the touch of those bony, cold hands. “Something priceless, in fact.” 

Nikita stared into Gary’s intense red eyes before his eyes darted down to his greedy smile. It took every ounce of his control to not headbutt the asshole. 

“Let go of me.” Nikita tried to jerk his head away but Gary’s hold was tight.

“Oh, so he does speak.” Gary’s grip slid to Nikita’s neck. He used just enough pressure to make it difficult to breathe. His hand wasn’t there long before Ondrej yanked Gary’s hand away. A puff of air left Nikita’s mouth.

“You can do whatever you want after you give me my payment.” Ondrej stepped to Nikita’s side. Nikita looked at Ondrej, his jaw was clenched tight and his face carried a dark shadow upon it, a far cry from the relaxed, confident look Nikita was used to seeing. 

“Of course, Ondrej.” Nikita tore his eyes away when Gary spoke again. “What information would you like?”

“I need to know what’s going on with this early apocalypse.” Ondrej stated, his hand once again landing on Nikita’s shoulder. Nikita wondered why Ondrej made sure to keep a hand on him at almost all times. 

Gary leaned against his desk and smirked. “Not exactly what I was expecting.” He played with his cufflinks. HIs voice was smug when he added, “You know, it really was quite easy to get started.”

“You actually have a hand in this then?” Ondrej cocked his head.

“Only partially. I merely got the ball rolling.” Gary shrugged and walked over to the window in his office. “It’s just a small part in a bigger scheme.” 

“Are you working with someone?” Gary nodded at Ondrej’s question. “Who?” 

“Now that would require more than just _one_ worthy soul, Ondrej.” Gary’s grinned reflected in the glass towards them. “But yes, I am working with someone.”

“How did you get the keepers to release the Horsemen?” 

“You know how easy it is to bribe demons.” Gary chuckled. “The other two will be difficult but that’s not my concern. I played my part and now I get to reap the rewards of thousands of souls.” He turned around, arms extended outwards as if he expected praise to be showered upon him. 

Nikita sat in his chair, fists clenched. He was absolutely fuming on the inside. He couldn’t believe this demon had the audacity to bring about the apocalypse early because of his greed. 

“You’re a piece of shit.” Nikita said through gritted teeth. 

“Speak all the hateful words you wish, they’re nothing but fuel for me.” Gary waltzed his way back towards Nikita. “But words are nothing compared to a soul.” Gary’s eyes turned red and began to reach for Nikita. His hand was just on Nikita’s chest before Gary was flying across the room, hitting a nearby painting causing it to fall to the ground with a large crash. 

“What the fuck, Ondrej?” Gary stood up, obviously angry. “He’s _mine_. I gave you what you wanted!”

“Yes, you did. But he was never yours. Sorry.” Ondrej reached out snapping the binds on Nikita’s wrists. Nikita heaved himself up from the chair and positioned himself behind Ondrej. 

“How dare you trick me!” Gary growled. “ _Betray_ me! His soul will be mine!” Gary rushed towards Ondrej but he was tossed across the room again, this time against his desk. 

“Not today.” Ondrej’s voice turned deep and his eyes burned red. 

Nikita stared at Ondrej, it was the first time he’d seen Ondrej use any semblance of his strength, it was terrifying and yet he didn’t feel threatened. Ondrej stepped forward and held out his hand, fire formed within his palm and he held it up towards the ceiling. 

The heat from the flame set off the fire sprinklers above, water pouring all throughout the room. Ondrej immediately pulled the hood of Nikita’s jacket up over his head. 

“You won’t escape.” Gary got to his feet again. “I’m not letting you out of here alive!” Gary yelled his words in anger but yelped with pain when the skin on his face began to smoke. “HOLY WATER!” Gary screamed in agony, diving under his desk.

“Let’s go!” Ondrej yelled, he kept his head down but grabbed Nikita by the arm and pulled him towards the door. “You have to lead me out!” 

Nikita yanked his arm away and grabbed onto Ondrej, pulling him into a nearby stairwell. The ran down to the first floor and into the lobby, dodging demons who were trying to find a place to hide from the holy water raining down from the ceiling. Nikita watched as they screamed in pain, seeking refuge in whatever cover they could find. 

Nikita hurried Ondrej through the lobby. He pushed through the glass doors and they stumbled down the stairs and into the street. Nikita heard tires squealing in the distance. He looked up to see his car approaching them. Tyler stepped on the brakes right in front of them. Nikita opened the back door and ushered Ondrej inside before himself.

“Drive!” Nikita ordered. Tyler stepped on the gas and the tires screeched against the asphalt again. 

“Are you both okay?” Tyler asked, taking a corner at a sharp turn.

Nikita could hear the worry in Tyler’s voice. He glanced down and looked at Ondrej who was practically huddled next to him in the back seat, clutching his hands. Nikita finally noticed the lesions on Ondrej’s hands. 

“Shit. Ondrej.” Nikita placed a hand on him. 

“I-I’m fine.” Ondrej voice caught. “Just get out of the city!” He said through gritted teeth. Tyler did as asked, speeding through the streets. Nikita didn’t know how long they drove for, his adrenaline was still so high that he could hear his heartbeat in his ears. Tyler eventually pulled over onto the side of a long stretch of road, nothing around them but fields. 

Ondrej got out of the car before they even came to a full stop. He pulled the jacket off and threw it onto the trunk of the car. He stumbled over to a nearby broken fence that separated the road from the wheat field behind him and leaned against the post. Nikita and Tyler followed him out of the car.

“Ondrej…” Tyler ran over to Ondrej and held his still shaking hands in his own.

“I’m okay.” Ondrej’s voice was still shaky.

“I wish I could heal them.” Tyler gently ran his fingers over the marks on Ondrej’s hands. They were already starting to heal but they still looked painful. 

“Don’t worry about it.” Ondrej squeezed Tyler’s hand gently. “I’m just glad everything went as planned.”

“As planned?” Nikita shook his head. “How was holy water part of the plan?!”

“I had to get you out of there without them following us.” Ondrej got back onto his feet with a little help from Tyler. 

“You got hurt!” Nikita frowned. Ondrej smirked at him but it looked more like a grimace. 

“You didn’t though, as promised.” Ondrej walked over to the trunk of the car and handed Nikita his jacket back. “Thanks for letting me borrow it.” 

Nikita didn’t really know what to say to Ondrej. He _had_ done as promised, more, even, since Ondrej got hurt just to protect him. He knew he should at least thank Ondrej but he didn’t feel like it would be enough. 

“Any time.” Nikita replied, feeling lame. 

“Did you guys find out anything?” Tyler asked.

“Yeah. Let’s not talk about it here though.” Ondrej sighed. “A friend of mine has a spare apartment in the next town. I have a key.”

“Is it safe there?” Nikita worried about demons trying to find them after the incident they just caused. 

“They won’t expect us to be there. We’ll be okay.” Ondrej smiled faintly. He opened the car door and slid inside the back seat. Nikita took his normal spot in the driver’s seat back with Tyler in the front seat. “Just wake me up when we get there. I need a rest.” 

“You deserve it.” Nikita looked at Ondrej in the rearview mirror. They shared a smile when their eyes met.


	8. Scars

Tyler read the passing road sign. They were only a few miles away from their destination. He turned around in his seat, laying a hand on Ondrej.

“Ondrej, wake up.” He said quietly, shaking Ondrej’s shoulder.

“Are we there already?” Ondrej ran his fists over his eyes. Tyler smiled, the marks on Ondrej’s hands had completely faded. 

“Just about.” Tyler turned back around in his seat. They traveled in silence the rest of the way save for Ondrej giving Nikita directions to their temporary hiding place.

“Nice place.” Nikita threw himself down onto the couch in the living room. Tyler glanced around the room. The apartment was small but it would do for the time being.

“You think no one will bother us here?” Tyler looked out a nearby window, glancing outside before shutting the curtain.

“We’re in the middle of nowhere, and it’s all mortals here anyway.” Ondrej walked over to the fridge and opened it. 

“Looks like your friend hasn’t been here in awhile.” Tyler noted as he looked over Ondrej’s shoulder and into the empty fridge.

“It’s just a spare place for him.” Ondrej shrugged and closed the door. He turned around and smiled at Tyler.

“I’m glad your hands healed up.” Tyler grabbed one of Ondrej’s hands, rubbing a thumb over the knuckles.

“Told you I would be fine.” Ondrej placed his free hand on Tyler’s cheek. Tyler couldn’t help but lean into it but pulled away when he heard a phone ring. He turned around to see Nikita fumbling to get his phone out of his pocket. 

“Hey.” Nikita answered, walking into a nearby room.

“Wonder what that’s about.” Tyler cocked his head.

“I’m sure he’ll tell us.” Ondrej answered. Nikita returned a few seconds later. “That was quick.”

“Yeah.” Nikita stuffed his phone back in his pocket. “I have to leave for a little bit.”

“What’s going on?” Tyler asked. He was a little concerned about Nikita leaving because of, well, everything...and if Nikita wasn’t wanted before he surely was _now_.

“Some others want to get together and discuss what’s going on,” Nikita started to gather his things. “They want to know what we’ve all found out. Or what we can try to do from here.”

“Well, I’d say you have a bit of insider information.” Ondrej chuckled. “Maybe don’t tell them where the information came from though.” 

“Don’t worry, I won’t.” A little breathless chuckle escaped Nikita. 

“We can go with you, if you want.” Tyler offered.

“No way.” Nikita shook his head. “It wouldn’t be safe for either of you.”

“He’ll be okay out there. If anyone can just waltz through the apocalypse, it’s him!” Ondrej waved in Nikita’s general direction. “Plus, he’ll have all his gun-happy friends around him.” He added with a wink.

Nikita rolled his eyes but a smile played at his lips. 

“How long will you be gone?” Tyler asked.

“Couple days, tops.” 

“Here.” Ondrej tossed a spare key to him.

“Thanks.” 

Nikita gathered the rest of his things and headed towards the door. Tyler and Ondrej told him to stay safe gaining them a little parting salute. 

“You’re so cute when you worry,” Ondrej mused at Tyler the moment Nikita left.

“He’s mortal, this is dangerous for him.” Tyler answered,sighing.

“He’s a hunter. It’s an occupational hazard.” Ondrej ran his hand down Tyler’s arm. “You know what? I saw some tea packets. I’ll make us some.”

Tyler watched Ondrej prepare the tea, enjoying the aroma from them as it filled the room. Ondrej handed Tyler a mug and they settled onto the couch, facing one another.   
Tyler stirred his tea and mulled over his thoughts. He looked up from his tea, surprised to see Ondrej was staring at him.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?” Ondrej’s voice was quiet.

“Nikita said you only take corrupt souls.” 

“That’s true.” Ondrej sipped his tea. “Well, I had a deal for one innocent soul a long time ago but I never collected it. Not in the traditional sense, at least.” 

“What happened?” 

“I did a crossroads deal and there was this young mother there. Her child was dying and she wanted him to live a full life in exchange for her soul.” He explained, staring off into the distance. “I gave her the maximum deal.”

“Ten years?” Ondrej nodded. “And then you never went back for it?”

“Nope. She was just _so desperate_ , only caring about her child and not herself.” 

“Didn’t other demons try to fulfill the contract though?” Tyler had a general idea of how soul contracts worked.

“I kept it off the books,” Ondrej smiled. “Her child grew up healthy, she got to watch her child grow up, and she got to enjoy old age.”

“Doesn’t making a deal with a demon automatically damn your soul?” 

“It does.” He nodded. “When she passed, I collected her soul but never turned it over.”

“What happened to it then? Souls don’t last long outside of its host.” Tyler frowned in confusion. 

“I put her in an astral plane!” Ondrej said happily. “It’s a nice one too, with a big meadow and tons of flowers.”

“Where did you even _get_ one?” Tyler was shocked, to say the least. They only existed in Heaven as far as he knew. Astral planes were special orbs,each housing its own unique landscape. It was a place where a person’s soul could live peacefully once their body perished. 

“Black market.” Ondrej smirked. “They cost a pretty penny.”

“So, you saved her from an eternity in Hell.” 

“Yeah,” Ondrej shifted in his seat. ”I only take corrupt souls. Ones that are completely unredeemable.”

“Why only corrupt ones?” Tyler scooted a little closer to Ondrej.

“They made their choices. I’m just making them pay for it early.” A shadow passed over Ondrej’s face. “I just can’t make myself take an innocent soul. I don’t think someone should be damned for something like loving their son so much you don’t want him to die.” 

Tyler smiled into his cup, he admired Ondrej’s moral compass. It reminded him a lot of himself. He studied Ondrej, who was now looking out the window behind them. Ondrej truly was not like other demons, he was kind and compassionate, if a little cocky...but even _that_ was attractive. Tyler chuckled at the thought.

“What?” Ondrej glanced back at Tyler. His features softened when their eyes met.

“I’m just thinking of how much you remind me of myself.” Tyler ran a hand through his hair. “We have a lot in common, actually.”

“Oh?” Ondrej twitched an eyebrow upward. 

“I was sitting in on a judgement one day and there was this boy.” Tyler furrowed his brow as the memory came flooding back to him. “He couldn’t have been older than eight, but his soul was up for judgement. At the time, souls were measured against a feather.”

“A single feather?” Ondrej cocked his head. “A mortal does one wrong thing and their soul will obviously weigh more than one feather!” 

“God was a little more...vengeful during this time. Many souls were damned because of it.”

“What happened to the boy?” Ondrej leaned in slightly, setting his cup on the coffee table. 

“His soul was heavier because he stole food so he didn’t starve to death. _That_ was his only crime. They were going to send him to Hell.” Tyler explained.

“That’s more than vengeful. That’s just...he was a boy.” Ondrej shook his head and sighed. 

“I didn’t agree with the ruling either. So, I spoke up.” Tyler swallowed hard. “I argued that he shouldn’t be damned for trying to survive just a little longer. The Judgements deliberated and and made me an offer. My wings for his soul.”

Ondrej’s eyes widened. “You mean...”

“Yeah. His soul would go to Heaven if I gave up my wings. I didn’t hesitate in agreeing.” Tyler rubbed his neck, wincing slightly when the pain that he had grown so accustomed to ignoring gave a dull throb. 

“You did the right thing, Tyler.” 

“I know, I did.” Tyler nodded. “I don’t regret my decision. Not for a second. I would do it again, every time.”

They sat in silence after that, neither of them really feeling the need to say anything. Tyler felt such a relief, finally _telling_ someone about his wings. Not just anyone but _Ondrej_. He’d known it was the right thing, but talking about it really helped drive it home for him. 

Tyler drifted from his thoughts when he noticed he was being studied. Words escaped him, but he didn’t look away from Ondrej when their eyes met. Tyler grabbed Ondrej’s hand, playing with his fingers absentmindedly. 

The corners of Ondrej’s mouth twitched into a small smirk. He reached out with his other hand and gently cupped Tyler’s face, his thumb dragging slowly over Tyler’s cheekbone. His hand trailed back to Tyler’s hair, burying his fingers into it and leaning in to claim his lips. 

A little sigh escaped Tyler, he deepened the kiss immediately. They kissed slowly just taking the time explore the other’s lips before Tyler pulled it to a close. He leaned his forehead against Ondrej’s, nuzzling their noses together. 

Tyler pulled away and heaved himself off the couch. He held a hand out towards Ondrej, who didn’t hesitate in grabbing it. Ondrej pressed a number of kisses to Tyler’s lips once he was on his feet. Small, sweet kisses that moved along his jaw and down his neck. Tyler let his head loll back, allowing Ondrej to pepper kisses along it while his hands ran up and down Tyler’s back. 

Ondrej nuzzled Tyler’s scruffy jaw with his nose, breathing heavily against Tyler’s skin sending a shiver down his spine. He stopped and linked his fingers in Tyler’s and led him towards the bedroom. 

“I just want you to know,” Ondrej stopped in front of the bed and turned towards Tyler. “There was never a game with _you_. I was drawn to you the moment I laid eyes on you.” A small chill went through Tyler at Ondrej’s words, he could hear the sincerity in them. 

“I felt the same,” Tyler breathed. “There was an instant connection.” 

Ondrej nodded in agreement, claiming Tyler’s lips once more. His tongue danced along Tyler’s lips begging for entry. Tyler yielded, moaning as Ondrej’s tongue mapped his mouth. Ondrej caressed Tyler’s back, fingers running slowly over the fabric of his shirt. He gripped tightly when his fingers ran over the scars. 

“May I see?” Ondrej whispered on Tyler’s lips. Tyler turned, taking a deep breath and pulled his shirt over his head. He closed his eyes, imagining a look horror on Ondrej’s face when the jagged skin along Tyler’s shoulder blades came into view. 

Tyler tensed when fingers lightly traced the scars slowly before Ondrej’s free hand snaked around Tyler’s waist and pulled Tyler against him. Tyler melted in the embrace when lips pressed between his scars, and for the first time since he’d had them, the pain melted away. 

“You are so beautiful.” Ondrej kissed a line up Tyler’s back to his neck, nuzzling into his hairline. 

“T-they say angels are m-most beautiful with their wings.” Tyler’s words caught when Ondrej nibbled on his ear. 

“Maybe other, lesser angels,” Ondrej growled. He eased Tyler onto the bed. Tyler watched Ondrej remove his shirt, biting his lip at the sight of Ondrej’s perfectly sculpted torso. “Let me show you.” 

Tyler took a deep breath. “Okay.” 

Ondrej smiled softly, leaning in to claim Tyler’s lips.


	9. Wings

Ondrej pulled Tyler closer, sighing contently when Tyler snuggled into him. He knew they needed to get up, a few days passed and while they spent that time getting to know every inch of each other, he also knew that Nikita would be returning soon. 

He rolled over to check the clock on the night stand, smiling when he heard Tyler groan from the loss of warmth. Tyler wormed closer to Ondrej, throwing an arm over his torso. 

“We should get up,” Ondrej threaded his fingers in Tyler’s hair. Tyler made the most contented noises whenever Ondrej did this, so he did it as often as he could. 

“Staying here is better,” Tyler mumbled, his voice still carried a hint of sleep. 

“I won’t argue that but we still need to get up.” Ondrej pressed a kiss to Tyler’s forehead. “Come on, lazy.” 

“Fine.” Tyler huffed, rolling away and out of the bed.

Ondrej found himself missing the warmth and even debated pulling Tyler back into the sheets but reluctantly got out of bed too. 

“At least we can have cold pizza for breakfast,” Tyler found some pants and slid into them. 

“Breakfast of champions,” Ondrej replied, getting dressed. “I think these are your pants.” Ondrej looked down and noticed his ankles were showing.

“I thought these were a little long.” Tyler threw his head back and laughed. He rolled the waistband, fixing the problem. 

“You’re ridiculous.” Ondrej threw Tyler’s shirt at him, hitting him in the head. Tyler stuck his tongue out in response. Ondrej loved seeing this side of Tyler. 

They headed into the kitchen, eating their pizza and enjoying each other’s company.

“I don’t even know why we ordered a pizza.” Tyler pushed his plate away. “Not like we really need to eat.” 

“One should always enjoy life’s little pleasures,” Ondrej leaned in close. “Especially some of the _better_ ones.” he growled, kissing Tyler firmly. He was just about to deepen the kiss when the door opened and in walked Nikita.

“Uh. Should I come back later?” He raised an eyebrow. 

“Nah, it’s okay.” Tyler patted Ondrej on the chest. “Glad you’re back safe!”  
  
“I told you he would be fine,” Ondrej did a once over of Nikita. “Not a scratch on him!”

“How’d your Big Hunter Meeting go?” Tyler threw himself down on the couch. 

“There’s some interesting things that’ve come to light.” Nikita threw his bag down by the door. “The third Horseman showed up.” 

“I can’t believe they were able to bribe an angel.” Ondrej shook his head.

“They didn’t. He’s dead.” 

“What?!” Tyler practically shouted. 

“I was just as shocked to hear it too.” Nikita sighed. “All the intel says Gary is the mastermind.”

“I don’t believe that,” Ondrej folded his arms. “If he was behind this he would’ve bragged _a lot_ more.”

“I tried to tell them what I knew but none of it matched up with their own intel.” Nikita frowned. “It was weird. They all had similar information. Mine was the only one that was different.”

“They didn’t believe you, did they?” Ondrej frowned. Nikita shook his head.

“Something’s not adding up right,” Tyler pursed his lips.

“No, not at all.” Ondrej sat down and put his chin in his hands. They knew Gary was working with someone even if they had no idea who. Gary had admitted his part was done.

“They said that Gary is the one who orchestrated the assassination of the Keeper.” Nikita added.

“But _we_ know that’s false.” Tyler sounded frustrated.

“You can only kill an angel with a divine weapon, right?” Ondrej looked to Tyler, who nodded. “And we can’t touch what was made to kill us.”

“We need to find out who Gary is working with, and fast.” Nikita paced in the room. “The others want to storm his headquarters soon.” 

“Let’s go.” They gathered their belongings and got back on the road. Their silence was tense as they headed back. 

“I’ve got a bad feeling.” Nikita shut his car door and looked around. “Where is everyone?” Not a soul was around, not even a hellhound. 

“Something changed while we were gone,” Ondrej headed towards the skyscraper again, Tyler and Nikita right behind him. They crossed the empty lobby and made their way up to Gary’s office. 

“Stay close.” Tyler whispered. 

They approached the open doorway, slipping inside. Someone was in the room, facing the window, everything around them was completely trashed.

“Coop?” Tyler called out, sounding surprised.

“Tyler!” Coop turned around, a bright smile affixed to his face. “What brings you here?” 

“I could ask you the same thing…” Tyler slowly approached, he gestured behind his back for Nikita and Ondrej to stay put. 

“I figured out what was going on with the apocalypse and went to confront the demon behind it all but when I got here there was nothing to find.” Coop sighed. “Such a shame. Guess they left to finish the job.” 

Ondrej narrowed his eyes, listening to Tyler and Coop talk. Something was making Ondrej feel uneasy and his stomach was in knots. Ondrej looked about the state of the room and noticed something over by Gary’s overturned desk. A drop of blood dripped from the corner of the desk down to an even larger pool that was soaked into the dark carpet. 

He glared at Coop, who looked almost _too_ relaxed. Coop smiled and Ondrej finally saw his smile for what it was. Devious. It was also when he noticed the sword behind Coop’s back. Ondrej didn’t know when Coop conjured it but the gold blade flickered in the light of the room as he swung it around. 

“Tyler!” Ondrej rushed forward, pushing him out of the way. Ondrej screamed in agony when the blade pierced his stomach.

“You’re a fool.” Coop’s demeanor did a complete one-eighty. He pushed the sword deeper into Ondrej and grabbed him by the neck with his free hand. 

“ONDREJ!” Tyler yelled, scrambling to his feet. 

Coop withdrew his sword and threw Ondrej across the room. Tyler started towards him but was stopped by a blade against his throat. Nikita rushed over to Ondrej. 

“Ondrej, no.” Nikita looked at the blood creeping between Ondrej’s fingers. “You’re not healing.”

“I’m not going to.” Ondrej replied, his voice was ragged. “That weapon was built to kill me.” 

“You started all of this, didn’t you?” Nikita shouted at Coop. They received no response from Coop who seemed intent on Tyler. 

Ondrej saw the look of absolute horror on Tyler’s face and he could only imagine how this whole scene looked from Tyler’s perspective. He winced in pain when he tried to move but Nikita put a hand on him. 

“Why do you care about this demon so much?” Coop asked Tyler.

“Fuck you, Coop.” Tyler said through gritted teeth. “I’ll end you.”

Coop laughed loudly. “You’re Fallen. You don’t have a semblance of a chance of killing me. But I’ll at least let you try.” Coop drew his sword back, settling into a fighting stance. “Draw your weapon.” 

Tyler’s lance appeared in his hand and immediately attacked Coop. 

Ondrej wanted to help Tyler fight Coop his vision was starting to grey around the edges. He placed a weak hand on Nikita’s arm to stop him from interfering. 

“I have to help him!” Nikita sounded frantic.

“No, you’ll get hurt.” Ondrej shook his head; it made him dizzy. “This fight is between them now.”

“There has to be something I can do.” Nikita looked at his gun. 

“Maybe there is.” A sudden idea popped into Ondrej’s head. “Give me your bullets. Regular ones.” Nikita did as asked and handed them to Ondrej. A pained noise left Ondrej when he removed his hand from his wound but he managed to coat the bullets in his blood. 

“Will this kill him?” 

“No, but it will hurt him.” Ondrej handed the bullets back. Nikita loaded them into his gun. 

Nikita nodded and cocked his gun, firing four shots at Coop, who cried out in pain.

“Foolish mortal!” Coop roared, his attention turning towards them. Nikita fired more shots to slow Coop down but he kept coming towards them. “You can’t kill me!” Coop raised his sword but stopped in his tracks when a golden spear came through him.

“I can though.” Tyler huffed, sweat dripping from his brow. Tyler gripped his spear and pulled it from Coop who fell to the ground. 

“This is impossible!” Coop gurgled, blood filling his mouth. “ _You_ are powerless! This world was mine!” 

Tyler didn’t let Coop continue ranting, finishing the job with his spear. 

“Ondrej!” Tyler dropped his spear and ran over to Ondrej. He placed his hands over top of Ondrej’s bloody ones. “I can’t lose you. Not now. I _need_ you.” 

“I’m sorry, Tyler.” Ondrej could see the tears filling Tyler’s eyes. 

“You can’t die, _please_.” Tyler’s tears spilled over and he laid his head against Ondrej’s. “Why did you do that? You knew that weapon was lethal to you.”

“And to you too.” Ondrej said quietly. He nuzzled Tyler’s nose. “I wasn’t going to let him hurt you.” 

“What’s that?” Nikita asked. 

Ondrej looked beyond Tyler to a bright light shining in the corner. It was becoming bigger and brighter by the second.

“Seraph.” Tyler whispered. The light filled the room and felt warm against Ondrej’s skin. A figure stepped from the light. Tyler approached the seraph and began talking.

“Can you understand them?” Nikita asked. Ondrej shook his head, he didn’t understand Angelic language but it sounded beautiful.

“No.” 

Tyler talked with the angel quietly. The seraph cocked his head in confusion at something Tyler said. Ondrej wondered what they were talking about when the seraph’s gaze turned towards him. The seraph walked over, the light radiating from him was almost blinding the closer he got. 

The seraph studied Ondrej, offering no words and only a smile before he placed his hands on top of Ondrej’s and removed them from the wound. 

“What are yo-” Ondrej’s words died and he let out a cry of pain when the seraph’s hands touched his stomach. The pain was white hot and Ondrej thought he was going to black out but just when it was almost too much, it disappeared. Ondrej looked down at his torso, his eyes widened when he saw it was completely healed. He looked up at the seraph at a loss for words.

The seraph reached out and cupped Ondrej’s face.

_“Make sure you take care of him.”_ A voice rang inside Ondrej’s head. The seraph patted Ondrej on the cheek lightly and pulled away. He said one last thing to Tyler and disappeared in the light that brought him. 

“What the fuck just happened?” Nikita asked the moment the seraph was gone. 

“Why did he heal me?” Ondrej scrambled to his feet. “Why would a seraph heal a demon?”

“I asked him to.” Tyler replied simply. 

“But _why_?” Ondrej moved closer to Tyler. “What was he sent here for?”

“He was sent here to reward me for taking care of Coop.” Tyler ran a hand through his hair. 

“Tyler..”

“They wanted to give me back my wings,” Tyler bit his bottom lip. “I asked him to heal you instead.” A little breathless chuckle left him. “He was confused but he complied.”

“You…” Ondrej blinked. “You could’ve gotten your wings back though.”

“You’re more important than that.” 

Ondrej grabbed Tyler and kissed him passionately. He couldn’t believe Tyler was given the opportunity to reclaim his wings but chose to save his life instead. A few tears escaped Ondrej, suddenly overwhelmed by the weight of Tyler’s actions. 

“I-I don’t,” Ondrej held Tyler against him. “I don’t deserve this. I don’t deserve _you_.”

“I’m the one who doesn’t deserve you,” Tyler replied, softly kissing Ondrej. “I can live without my wings. I can’t live without _you_ , Ondrej.” Tyler deepened their kiss.

They kissed until Nikita cleared his throat. 

“Way to ruin the moment, Nikita,” Ondrej laughed when their kiss broke. 

“I”m sure you two can pick up easily later,” Nikita rolled his eyes playfully. “We still have an apocalypse to attend to.”

“We’re good,” Tyler grabbed his spear. “The angels have the rest taken care of.” 

The three of them, knowing there was nothing left to tend to, headed out of the building, silent, but content.They paused when they were near Nikita’s car, taking in everything around them.

“So, I guess now that everything is over I should go my own way now,” Nikita shrugged.

“What?” Ondrej tore his gaze away from Tyler. “No. You’re staying with us.”

“My job doesn’t really keep me in one place, guys.” Nikita smirked. “Plus, I don’t want to be in the way.” 

“I have an extra room at my place. You’re always welcome there.” 

“It would be nice to have a place to go every now and then,” Nikita pondered. 

“I think you should stay,” Tyler spoke up. “I’m sure Ondrej has plenty of leads on supernaturals.” 

“Oh yeah, the city’s a mess and needs a load of cleaning up, especially after all this.” Ondrej gestured vaguely at everything. 

Nikita laughed and shook his head. “I was so used to being on my own but now I honestly don’t know what I would do without the two of you around.” 

“Well then it’s settled! You’re staying!” Tyler exclaimed happily. Nikita shook his head but was smiling when he got into his car. 

“You know you’re stuck with me now, right?” Ondrej pressed a kiss to Tyler’s temple. 

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Tyler smiled. They walked to the car together hand in hand. Sharing a kiss before getting inside. The engine roared to life and they headed towards home.


End file.
